Tomasz Zieliński, Polish weightlifter and European champion, was excluded from the Olympic Games in Rio. Doping control showed the presence of a banned substance in his body – nandrolone. Zieliński claims that he is innocent and will appeal against this decision. Indeed, the matter looks very strange, because nandrolone stays in the body for a year and a half after administration. Previous inspections carried out in recent months did not reveal the presence of this substance in Tomek’s body. What is nandrolone and how does it work?
Nandrolone (nandrolone decanoate) – an anabolic and androgenic steroid, an organic chemical compound. Nandrolone is one of the most popular doping agents used in competitive sports and bodybuilding to increase muscle mass and strength. It is most often used in combination with testosterone (it gives an impulse to the growth of muscle cells, which then assimilate a larger portion of proteins than usual)
Of the 11 nandrolone derivatives, decanoate is the most common, less often phenylpropionine.
In Poland, in the 80s and 90s, this steroid was imported from Hungary (as phenylpropionate under the name Neraboil), today it is available under the names Deca-Durabolin and Keratyl. Its action is based on the acceleration of protein synthesis, bone mineralization and growth, therefore it is used, for example, in osteoporosis, in the pre- and postoperative period, in burns, after radiotherapy, in states of malnutrition and convalescence. It does not work orally, it is administered in the form of intramuscular injections, less often in ophthalmology – postoperatively as eye drops.
Nandrolone reduces the level of cortisol (the so-called stress hormone), anesthetizes.
Side effects of nandrolone include hair loss, acne, increased blood pressure, prolonged blood clotting time, decreased libido – up to the loss of erection, gynecomastia.